10 Predictions for Season 7 of Game of Thrones

*WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS FROM BOTH THE TELEVISION SHOW AND NOVELS BELOW!!!!!!*

We are less than two months away from the penultimate season of the most successful television show in the history of HBO. Game of Thrones represents the ultimate water-cooler program. Endless debates, speculations, arguments, and sorrow over lost characters have abounded. Rarely (if ever) have I seen such attention to detail, flawless acting, brilliant writing, and perfect casting. Action, set design, special effects-this show just blows me away. And from a novel perspective (proud reader since 2005!) I have NEVER seen an adaptation that so perfectly fits what was in my mind while I was reading the novels. Sorry if I seem like I’m fawning but…actually I’m not sorry, my love for this show knows no bounds.

Anyhooo, like most fans I like to speculate as to where this show is heading. Producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff have already promised that these last two seasons are going to move fast. Which is logical since Dany is about to reach Westeros, Cersei has risen to the Iron Throne, and the White Walkers are a “Hodor!” whisper away from breaking The Wall down. Over the last few weeks (ok months…ok since the season six finale) I’ve been speculating as to what fans are in store for this season. Here are ten predictions for season seven:

1. ONE OF THE THREE REMAINING LANNISTERS WILL DIE

Aside from Tywin, Kevan, and Lancel, the Lannister clan (aside from Jamie’s hand) remains relatively unscathed. But I think this season is going to be different. The stakes are extremely high at this point. Dany, her army, and her dragons are about to land in Westeros. Conflicts are about to arise. Blood will be shed, and I think at the end of day it’s going to be Lannister blood. My bet is on Cersei. There’s a prophecy in the novels of Cersei being choked by a golden hand. A Song of Ice and Fire fans think this means Jamie (who has a golden hand) will choke Cersei to death. I think Jamie will discover that Cersei’s actions in the season six finale led to Tommen’s suicide. With his father’s death at the hands of Tyrion, the loss of his hand, the poisoning of Joffrey AND Myrcella, Cersei banging other dudes, and now the suicide of Tommen-I think that this is going to be the thing that finally drives Jamie over the edge.

2. TYRION WILL DISCOVER THE TRUTH ABOUT TYSHA

If you recall from season one, Tyrion had a wife before Sansa. At the age of fourteen, he met a girl upon the road, saved her from brigands, and became her husband for a short time. When Tywin found out about it, he made Jamie reveal that Jamie hired a whore to take Tyrion’s virginity. Then he made Tyrion watch while Tywin’s entire guard raped her…then he made Tyrion take a turn. Well if you’re a fan of the books, you know that the truth is Tysha was never a whore. It was a lie that Tywin made Jamie tell Tyrion. My thinking is that in a moment of pique, Jamie will tell Tyrion this fact just to be malicious.

3. JON SNOW WILL CROSS A MORAL LINE

The newly anointed King in the North has always been Game of Thrones‘s moral compass. Many fans shake their heads at how naive Jon can be. Aside from his affair with Ygritte, he’s honorable to a fault, so much so that it leads to his murder at the hands of his fellow Nightwatch brothers. In other words, every other character has discovered that in the world George R.R. Martin has created, you need to get a little dirty sometimes for the greater good. As to what that line will be I have no idea.

4. WE ARE GOING TO FINALLY GET THE CLEGANE BOWL

When fan favorite Sandor “The Hound” Clegane returned last year this was my reaction:

The great thing about Martin’s work is that not only do characters develop and evolve, so do your feelings about the characters. Think about how you felt regarding The Hound in season one as compared to season six. I’ve come to see him in a new light. In some ways he’s a victim of circumstance and despite being a brutal killer, I think he’s starting to come around to the idea that maybe he’s not irredeemable, that maybe he can do some good in this world. Yet as any victim of trauma will tell you, sometimes you have to face your demon head on in order to defeat it. The Hound’s demon comes in the form of his brother Gregor Clegane, or as the Internet refers to him after he was resurrected by Qyburn, “Frankenmountain.” In case you forgot, Gregor burned one side of his brother’s face in the fireplace when he was six years old. Last year there was a strong belief among fans that ultimately these two would meet in a glorious one on one battle. Sadly, this did not happen. However, I think at some point in season seven it will occur. Furthermore, The Hound will be victorious and his sacrifice (I do believe he’ll die) will be for a righteous cause.

5. JON WILL NOT ONLY FIND OUT HE’S RHAEGAR TARGARYEN’S SON, BUT THAT HE’S A LEGITIMATE SON

A long-held fan theory finally came to fruition last year when the season finale (seriously how much shit happened in the finale??) revealed that Jon was not Eddard Stark’s son. Rather he was the son of Rhaegar Targaryen–the heir to the Iron Throne before he was killed by Robert–and Lyanna Stark, Eddard’s sister. This information will be revealed to Jon in the coming season…but in a two-fold manner. Bran will be the one to provide Jon’s true lineage, but Sam will be the one to reveal that Jon is a legitimate son. How can that be? Well not only did Targaryens tend to marry brother to sister to keep the blood line pure, they also had a history of being polygamous. Meaning that it’s entirely possible that Rhaegar married Lyanna before Jon was born. Consequently not only is he a legitimate child, but it makes him the presumptive heir to the Iron Throne.

6. LITTLEFINGER WILL TRY TO BETRAY SANSA ONLY TO HAVE HER DOUBLECROSS HIM

Of all the people who play the Game of Thrones, Petyr Baelish may be the best. He convinced Lysa to poison Jon Arryn the former Hand of the King, worked an end around on Eddard Stark which resulted in his death, orchestrated Sansa’s escape from King’s Landing, murdered Lysa and got away with it, convinced the knights from the Vale of Arryn to come to Winterfell’s aid, and on, and on, and on. Dude is a survivor. As he said, “The big fish eat the little fish and I just keep on swimming.” Finding Nemo fan he may be, but his ability to come out smelling like a Highgarden Rose is unparalleled. Yet I believe the apprentice can sometimes overcome the master and so it shall be with Sansa. She’s been watching and observing. She knows Littlefinger is manipulative and only interested in his own self-interest. He will try to come between Jon and Sansa, planting seeds of jealousy and resentment. However, I think Sansa will play along and in the end Lord Baelish will find he’s an edible fish just like every other sea creature.

7. JON SHALL RIDE A DRAGON AND IT WILL BE RHAEGAL

Jon Snow has proven to be of the blood of the dragon. From what we’ve seen it appears that only Targaryens can command dragons. Now let’s be realistic. Dany can’t ride all three dragons at once, although it seems that she can command all three at once. It makes no sense plot wise to have three dragons and not have someone else ride them besides Dany. It also makes sense for Jon to take Rhaegal as his dragon. Dany named Rhaegal in honor of her fallen brother Rhaegar. What more fitting mount than for the son of Rhaegar to sit astride the dragon bearing his father’s namesake? But what about the third dragon….

8. TYRION WILL ALSO RIDE A DRAGON AND IT WILL BE VISERION

This prediction may sound the most outlandish but I believe that Tyrion also possesses the blood of the dragon. I think he’s half Targaryen. In the books it’s said that King Viserys, the “Mad King” was obsessed with Tywin’s wife Joanna. I suspect that Viserys raped Joanna and that Tyrion is actually the bastard son of Viserys and Joanna. There’s three reasons to support my claim. One: In the first episode of season one, Tyrion tells Jon Snow, “All dwarfs are bastards in their father’s eyes.” Now this could just be a comment on Tyrion’s relationship with his father or it could be a brilliant piece of foreshadowing. After all this show is all about the long game. Second: When Tyrion kills Tywin, Tywin himself says, “You’re no son of mine.” Granted this could be because Tywin was speaking out of anger due to Tyrion putting a crossbow bolt in his stomach or it could mean that facing death, he’s finally admitted the truth of Tyrion’s lineage. Third and perhaps most telling: You may have noticed that Dany seems to be the only one who can approach her dragons without them going full fire-breathing beast. Save one. Last season, Tyrion approached Viserion and Rhaegal in the pits of Meereen and, though they were somewhat weary of him, they never turned Tyrion into imp BBQ. The reason could be because Tyrion himself possesses Targaryen blood.

9. DANY AND JON WILL MARRY

First off ewww because technically Dany is Jon’s Aunt. However, from a practical standpoint it makes sense. The Medieval times were rife with political marriages. The same holds true in Westeros. Yes Dany has forces in the East and support in the south from Dorne. However, the West will probably align with Cersei and the North wants to be its own independent state at this time. What better way for Dany to champion her quest for the Iron Throne than forming a political alliance with the King in the North? Even more telling is last season when Dany told Daario Naharis she wouldn’t take him with her because she had to be open to the possibility of a political marriage. Mark my words, this season that possibility will become reality.

10. THE WALL WILL FALL…AND IT WILL BE BECAUSE OF BRAN

Look, we’ve been building to this clash for six plus years now. The real threat isn’t these royals and their petty wars over lines on a map, flags, and who rules who. The danger comes from the North and the White Walkers. The Wall was designed specifically to keep them out as it was imbued with magical spells thousands of years ago. Yet the White Walkers have never been able to cross because of those spells. Until now. Last season Bran was marked by the Night King which allowed the Walkers to find Hodor, Meera, and Bran. I think the Walkers may have inadvertently created their own exit plan. Bran carries the taint of the Night King with him. As soon as he crosses the Wall I believe those spells will be broken and the Wall will come tumbling down like so much paper mache in the rain. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s how season seven ends–with the Wall falling and the White Walkers leading a band of the undead south.

People tend to hate fan theories more often than not, if for no other reason than they are just that: theories. Who cares what some dude in their Mom’s basement thinks about a show on cable television? Well I think the real complaint is that too many of these fan theories are half-assed and don’t make any logical sense. I hope that my predictions have gone full Spock with my logic. And if nothing else I can assure you I do not live in my Mom’s basement.